


Coffee Shop Crushes

by transrich



Series: Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Aged Up, Artist Will Byers, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Writer Mike Wheeler, but there is NO adult content, coffee shop AU, theyre both dorks with crushes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 10:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20289685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transrich/pseuds/transrich
Summary: will likes to sketch the people he sees coming in and out of starbucks. one day, one of those people just happens to be mike wheeler. as long as he doesn’t see the drawings, it’ll all be okay. just as long as he doesn’t see the drawings.





	Coffee Shop Crushes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Girasol_eddie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Girasol_eddie/gifts).

> i’m so sorry for that terrible title, it was a spur of the moment decision to post this on here so i’m just going with it
> 
> also this was from a dialogue prompt list! number 61: we need to talk.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Will would go to Starbucks and draw. It was good practice, drawing whoever was around. Some were quick sketches, others detailed and intricate, all put together with a mixture of messy charcoal and pencil strokes that left the table in a mess. He’d taken to shyly asking the barista for a rag so he could clean up the graphite. Eventually, he started to find one waiting for him on his usual table when he came in. He’d blushed the first time he saw it there, feeling bad for making such a mess every time, but he had to admit it took away the nerve-wracking ordeal of having to get up and ask. 

One day, Will was sketching a pretty redhead at a table with her friend. Pretty, but not his type. He almost wished he had any markers to capture her flaming hair, but he never colored his Starbucks drawings. It was weird, he was sure, but coloring them made them feel too real. Too much like actual people. The black and white kept them separate from his own world. He had yet to color a single sketch that wasn’t of his mom or Jonathan. 

He was in the middle of this girl’s sketch when he heard the bell ring and looked up. Will immediately flipped to a clean page. This new guy was more attractive than anyone he’d ever seen before. High cheekbones, wavy hair pushed back but not in a douchey way, a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose. Will had never believed in love at first sight, but he was starting to change his mind. He started sketching right away, wanting to make sure he never forgot this guy’s face. He stuck his tongue out in concentration as he tried to capture his face from the front even though the man only displayed his right cheek to him as he ordered. 

The man didn’t stay long enough for Will to capture all his features, but he was able to obtain a small bit of information: the stranger’s name.  _ Mike. _ The barista had called it out when his coffee was finished. Will sighed dreamily as he tried to sketch in the features of his face he’d missed.  _ Mike. _ He whispered it under his breath like a prayer. A prayer that he’d see the beautiful stranger again. 

On Thursday, Will showed up like always, settling into his normal seat and laying out his art supplies. He’d barely started when the bell rang and he looked up, only to see Mike, that gorgeous man from the other day. Will grinned; maybe he’d be able to fix his sloppy sketch today, assuming that he stayed. And stay he did, sitting at the table directly across from Will’s. Wasn’t that just perfect luck, falling right into the artist’s lap? He had drawn the man at more of a three-fourths angle the other day, but it wasn’t too much of a hassle to fix. Mike was frantically scribbling in a notebook, occasionally crumpling up the paper and throwing it behind him. He looked like a bit of a madman. Will couldn’t wait to meet him. 

Mike stayed for long enough for Will to finish his first sketch.  _ First,  _ because every Tuesday and Thursday, Mike was there, always sitting in the same spot. And every day, Will either added to a past sketch or started a new one. A few times, he caught the other man looking back at him, and quickly tried to hide his sketchbook. Will hoped he was too focused on whatever he was writing to pay attention to the drawings on the page. 

This pattern continued until one day, when Mike didn’t show up. Will tried to not let himself be too disappointed and distracted himself by drawing. But of course, he just finished up his last sketch of his crush, which only made him think more about him.  _ Crush  _ sounded so juvenile. He wasn’t a kid anymore. But what could he call him besides that? He didn’t know him at all, and as Will barely allowed himself to think, now he might never get to. That was, until he found him bursting through the door just as he was about to leave. And this time, he made a beeline for Will. 

Will swallowed, shaking in his seat. His heart was pounding and his mouth felt dry. Especially when Mike slammed his notebook on the table and said, “We need to talk.” Those four words never failed to send Will spiraling, no matter who said them. It was about his drawings, he was certain. His fears were only confirmed when he continued, “I saw your drawings.” 

Immediately, Will cowered, a hot blush rising to his cheeks. “I’m so sorry, I thought you were a really interesting subject and—I’m so sorry, I’ll get rid of them all.” He looked down at this sketch and felt sick. 

But Mike just looked confused. “What? No! I think they’re really awesome. Actually, I, uh—the reason I was late was because I was finishing this up.” He slid his own notebook closer to Will, a blush of his own on his pale, freckled cheeks. Will looked up, his lips parting. He took the notebook slowly and opened it to the first page. “I’m sorry, this is probably really weird, but I, uh, was hoping that since you were drawing me all the time, maybe this would be an okay thing to show you?” Mike rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. All Will could do was nod, taking in the words on the pages in front of him. It was a story...about  _ him.  _ About how cute Mike—or the narrator—thought he looked when he concentrated on his drawings, and what he thought he might get up to when he left the coffee house. And at the end, it described the narrator going up to the other man— _ Will _ —and asking him on a date. But the answer was left blank. Will looked up when he finished reading, a wondering smile on his face. “Um, so? Whaddya say? And again, if this was totally stupid, just forget—”

“That would be great. Really great, Mike,” Will said, trying and probably failing to not sound too excited. He realized he was still sitting and stood up, still smiling like an idiot. 

Mike’s face scrunched up. “Uhh, how do you know my name?”

Will blushed again. “I’m sorry, I just hear the barista call your name all the time when you go to pick up your coffee. I’m—I’m Will, by the way.” He held out his hand for a handshake, then internally groaned.  _ A handshake? _

But thankfully, Mike didn’t seem fazed. He shook Will’s hand, then handed him a pencil. “Make it official?” he asked sheepishly. Will smiled and instead of taking the pencil, used his charcoal to write  _ Yes!!! _ in the empty space after story-Mike’s question. Even though he’d already said yes, Mike seemed to completely relax after seeing it on paper. “Okay, great! That’s great! Can I, uh, get your number?” 

Will quickly nodded and Mike handed his phone over. He typed in his number and  _ Will Byers _ with a little heart emoji that he hoped wasn’t going overboard. But when he handed the phone back, Mike just grinned and typed something in. A second later, Will felt his phone buzz and pulled it out. 

_ Mike Wheeler <3 _

Will smiled up at him. “Well, uh, I was actually just about to go, but...text me? And we can figure something out?” Mike grinned, and so did Will. 

“Alright, I will, Will.” He chuckled, making Will shake his head with how obvious and dumb the joke was. 

“I’ll see you later, Mike Wheeler.” Will was still smiling and blushing as he packed up his things. He could still feel his eyes on him as he left the coffee shop.

Will rushed home to his apartment, immediately going to his desk and laying out all his things. He flipped to the first sketch of Mike he’d done. And started to color it in. 

**Author's Note:**

> please leave kudos (and comments!!!) if you liked this! follow my tumblr @chaotickaspbrak for more content—although, fair warning, it is largely IT.


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